Thai Inspired Mushroom Salad

 A little fine weather has us all longing for lovely summery salad meals. Having just planted a patch of coriander in the garden, impatience got the better of me and I invested in a bunch from the growers market. Mushrooms are of course available all year around and lend themselves to both summer and winter incarnations - both of which I would happily eat at any time of the year. But Sunday's beautiful weather called for a light, fresh, summer time recipe, and what better influence than the fresh flavours of Thai. That great mixture of spicy, sweet, sour and salty combined with fresh herbs.

Thai Inspired Mushroom Salad

250g small white button mushrooms
a handful of baby carrots
2 sticks celery
1 spring onion
a handful of fresh coriander

Dressing:
100ml lemon juice
1 knob fresh ginger
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
2 teaspoons caster sugar
100ml canola oil
a few grinds of black pepper

Finely slice the mushrooms. Wash and slice the baby carrots on an angle; if they are young they wont need peeling. Finely slice the celery and spring onion. Place the vegetables into a medium sized bowl.
Don't chop the coriander until your just about to serve the salad as it will wilt and discolour.

Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar or jug and either blend with a stick blender or shake to combine in a sealed jar.











Pour the dressing over the salad about 15 to 20 minutes before you want to serve it.












The trick is to time it so the mushrooms have had time to absorb some of the dressing without becoming too soft. 









Roughly chop the coriander, combine with the salad and transfer the salad into a serving bowl.

We happily ate ours with some roast chicken, asparagus and a baked potato, while the soft breath of summer wafted through the house.